Which focal length is best for indoor action sports shots?
I am a pro portrait photographer; about to get into action shots.
I have a Canon 30D. I have 3 zoom lenses available.
18-55mm
35-80mm
80-200mm
I will be shooting indoors, in a gym. I will not be using a flash. I do not have a lens hood. I have a very small lens flare guard ("Camera Armor, I think). Also, which aperture setting do you suggest? These images will be used on the league’s website. Also, when shooting action shots, is it easier to shoot on manual focus or set the auto focus to the center spot? Thanks
I have several spot options with auto focus, and continuous focus. The gym is just the basketball court & a little side-line area. The widest aperture on all the lenses is 4.5 .
Depends on how close you can get, but the 35-80 plus the 80-200 are both good ideas.
It really depends a lot on the speed of the lenses. Lenses with f2.8 max aperture and that actually work properly wide open are the best bet.
http://photography-techniques.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_choose_a_basketball_lens
Definitely use autofcous, on a sports setting or continuous focus setting so the system changes auto focus as the subject moves
This is awfully hard to answer. How close you are to your subjects is going to determine what focal length you need. Some sports photographers use 500mm or longer to get the shots you see in magazines.
As for aperture, again, it all depends on the lighting conditions and the speed of the action. I would suggest that shutter speed is probably more important than a fixed aperture.
If you’re a good photographer, you’ll want to use manual focus – but if you’re not quick enough, you’re going to miss a lot of shots. If your camera’s auto focus is fast enough, it can sometimes save you. Again, top sports photographers determine ahead of time where the focus points are and quickly adjust the lens as they shoot. If you’re just planning on showing up and winging it, you’ll not be too pleased with your results.
References :
A prime lens with a low aperture and fast auto focus is what you will be wanting. An all round focal length for a variety of indoor sports i would recommend around 85mm focal length.
Like the Canon 85mm f/1.8
Perfect for low light, indoor photography. Unlike the zoom’s you mentioned above.
References :
Depends on how close you can get, but the 35-80 plus the 80-200 are both good ideas.
It really depends a lot on the speed of the lenses. Lenses with f2.8 max aperture and that actually work properly wide open are the best bet.
http://photography-techniques.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_choose_a_basketball_lens
Definitely use autofcous, on a sports setting or continuous focus setting so the system changes auto focus as the subject moves
References :
it depends on what your situation is – what are you going to shoot within the gym? how close are you going to get? what is your purpose, are you on assignment, and if so, for who?
there’s a lot of unanswered questions. i can’t really tell you which lens to use, but since you are in a gym (keeping in mind you have to go close since you are in an enclosed area), go for the 35-80mm and 18-55mm, if you can bring both. if you can’t, go for the former. remember that wide apertures isolate the subject and cause the background to blurred, so that’s up to you. the focus is your personal choice again, if you have to be fast go for the autofocus (even though it’s on the center spot, you can still pan the camera). if everything is a set-up, you might want to use manual.
References :